A space heater being used to thaw pipes most likely started a fire Tuesday at a Franklin apartment building, officials said.

A space heater being used to thaw pipes most likely started a fire Tuesday at a Franklin apartment building, officials said.

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Updated: 12:52 AM EST Feb 11, 2015

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WEBVTT BEEN SHOVELED OUT JUST HOURS EARLIER. ADAM SEXTON IS LIVE IN FRANKLIN TONIGHT WITH OUR TOP STORY. ADAM? THERE'S SO MUCH SNOW OUT HERE, IT'S FINDING ITS WAY INTO ABOUT EVERY STORY THAT WE DO. IN THIS CASE IT WAS HARD WORK THAT WAS PUT IN ON THE SNOW EARLIER IN THE DAY THAT HELPED PUT OUT THE FLAMES AFTER THEY STARTED. FIRST RESPONDERS IN FRANKLIN RUSHED TO THIS HOME AT THE CORNER OF CENTRAL AND MONROE TUESDAY, AS FLAMES SPREAD RAPIDLY THROUGH THE BUILDING FROM A FIRST FLOOR APARTMENT. I JUST STARTED HEARING ALL THE COMMOTION, I COME OUTSIDE AND NEXT THING YOU KNOW THE HOUSE IS ON FIRE, SMOKE AND EVERYTHING ELSE. THANK GOD THERE WAS NOBODY INSIDE. CREWS WERE ABLE TO GET WATER ON THE FIRE QUICKLY AND KEEP IT COMING ONCE THE INITIAL SUPPLY WANT RAN OUT, THANKS IN PART TO SHOVEL WORK EARLIER IN THE DAY. THE DEPUTY FIRE CHIEF ACTUALLY SHOVELED THE HYDRANT ACROSS FROM THIS BUILDING FIRE THIS MORNING, AND IT TOTALLY PAID OFF. THERE ARE 315 FIRE HYDRANTS IN FRANKLIN, AND IT USUALLY TAKES ABOUT THREE DAYS TO SHOVEL ALL OF THEM OUT AFTER A STORM. IF YOU HAVE A HYDRANT IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD, IT'S IMPORTANT TO BE SURE THAT IT'S SHOVELED, IT COULD SAVE YOUR HOUSE. WHILE THE SNOW PILES DIDN'T SLOW DOWN THIS RESPONSE, THE FIRE ITSELF MAY HAVE HAD A SEASONABLE CAUSE. INVESTIGATORS SAY A SPACE HEATER WAS BEING USED TO THAW PIPES IN THE AREA WHERE THE FLAMES STARTED. WE UNDERSTAND THAT FOLKS NEED TO USE THOSE, HOWEVER PROPER CLEARANCES AND PROPER USE OF VENTILATION, AND JUST BEING SURE THAT IT'S SAFE, SAFE DISTANCES FROM COMBUSTIBLES. A LIVE LOOK AT THE HOUSE TONIGHT. WHILE THE STRUCTURE IS NOT CONSIDERED A TOTAL LOSS, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HAS CONDEMNED THE BUILDING, DUE TO THE AMOUNT OF DAMAGE IT SUSTAINED. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ALSO SAYS THREE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN DISPLACED BY THIS FIRE.

Space heater likely caused Franklin apartment fire, officials say

A space heater being used to thaw pipes most likely started a fire Tuesday at a Franklin apartment building, officials said.